by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye

Firmus energy has raised £17,500 for leading suicide prevention and crisis support charity, Lighthouse. The money which was initially fundraised by employees was later matched by management to further enable the charity to carry out its life saving work.



Throughout the course of one year, the in-house Charity Committee went to great lengths to raise funds, promote a culture of positive mental health and raise more awareness of these issues within firmus energy.
The staff took part in various CSR activities such as staff workshops, team building exercises, sponsored walks and coffee mornings. And it didn’t stop there – some staff members took on the gruelling, physical challenge of competing in triathlons and marathons, all with the aim of raising vital funds to aid this lifesaving work.
Lighthouse Co-Founder Jo Murphy said,
“We have really enjoyed the partnership and friendship that we have developed with firmus energy –a superb business that is dedicated to improving the well-being of staff through tackling the stigma that surrounds mental health. My team and I delivered various training sessions and engaged in great discussions with staff regarding the importance of mental well-being. The staggering amount raised by the staff in firmus energy will be instrumental in enabling us to continue our lifesaving services for those in need.”
The firmus energy Charity of the Year selection process is unique in that it is solely driven by staff.
firmus energy’s Key Account Manager, Dave, brought Lighthouse to the attention of firmus energy staff early last year:
“firmus energy has a wonderful charity selection process for Charity of the Year. Staff submit nominations for the charity they would like to support, which is followed by a three stage voting process. The charity with the most votes is then nominated as the Charity of the Year. When Lighthouse was selected to be firmus energy’s 2018 Charity of the Year, I was incredibly touched. The level of support and generosity shown by my colleagues and the company was far greater than I ever could have expected. Although we are a small business, staff were repeatedly willing to put their hands in their pockets and give up their time for numerous fundraising activities which we held throughout the year.”
“I have been moved by the overwhelming support given by the firmus energy staff and their families for our 2018 charity – Lighthouse. This was such a personal cause for myself and others within the business. Our fundraising total was a testament to the efforts and contributions made throughout the year. However, we have done so much more than just fundraise for the charity, we developed lasting relationship(s) through the partnership between firmus energy and Lighthouse which will remain well into the future. The importance of bereavement support for families and crisis intervention offered by Lighthouse cannot be underestimated, the work they do literally saves lives.”
Commenting on the success of the partnership, Rochelle Magee, Head of firmus energy’s in-house Charity Committee,
“We’ve exceeded all our targets for this year’s Charity of the Year and we are very grateful that the company has decided to match our total. We’ve been doing the charity of the year initiative for five years which has helped us contribute to a total of five charities across Northern Ireland. Lighthouse does a fantastic job and the added support they provide to families means we know this money will be put to great use.”
Lighthouse is an organisation committed to the prevention of suicide and self-harm; the promotion of positive mental health and the provision of support services to families who have been bereaved due to suicide.
One in four adults will be diagnosed with mental health problems in their life time. For some, that may mean being depressed, feeling hopeless, anxious or suicidal. The money raised will contribute to Lighthouse’s ongoing services, predominantly for crisis interventions, family support and counselling.
If you or someone you know needs to talk, Lighthouse is just a phone call away on 028 9075 5070.

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Jo Murphy, Lighthouse Co-Founder and Rochelle Magee, Head of the Charity Committee at firmus energy.

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